Description

ZimboPy is an organic, on-the-ground effort by a local non-profit
organization and Python developers in the Harare software development
community to advance the cause of women in technology in Zimbabwe. The
program operates in community centers, universities, high schools and
tech hubs to make programming accessible to girls regardless of their
socio-economic status. Upon initially joining a ZimboPy club, many of
the girls would have never used a computer before, let alone code.

In Zimbabwe, only 17% of computer science undergraduate majors are
women, and in the developing world, women make up less than 20% of the
information and technology workforce. ZimboPy exists to empower
Zimbabwean girls with the skills and confidence necessary to not only
enter the local tech industry, but to lead it.

In addition to learning to code, ZimboPy club members also join a global
network of women in technology that are working to tackle social
challenges through human-centered design and computer science. ZimboPy’s
mentorship program invites experienced women developers, mainly from the
United States and Europe, to help Zimbabwean girls address local
problems which can be solved with technology, such as clean water and
e-commerce solutions for small shops in towns and villages. Mentors will
travel to Zimbabwe and work with girls as they develop a plan for their
applications and pair-program with them, answering questions and
providing feedback along the way. To ensure that the girls are
successful, mentors will continue to work with their groups even after
leaving the country through weekly video conferences and email feedback.
Overall, ZimboPy looks forward to changing Zimbabwe’s future through
creativity, collaboration and the power of Python programming.